Love In Time
by BUTK
Summary: Bella has been on her own since she was 17, which was over 100 years ago. She has a special ability that must be kept secret and prevents her from staying in one place for too long. When she decides to move back to the Pacific Northwest will she finally find what she has been missing for so long? Slightly OOC, AU, Bella/Edward.


**Chicago, September 13, 1918**

**-Mrs Meyer owns the Characters, I own the rest. **

The air was thick with heat as I made my way down the street. My white dress was clinging to the damp skin on my back and I wanted nothing more than to make it home and remove the vile garment before I completely soaked through. I had been sent on an errand by my mother to pick up some medicine from Dr. Cullen. She said she was feeling a little light headed and thought it necessary to send me out, on my birthday, into the city to fetch some medicine. She handed me a small leather purse and request that I seek out Dr. Cullen at the hospital, saying he was her favorite doctor and would know exactly what she needed. I didn't blame her, he was nice to look at and had always taken care me with a gentle manner.

Before I left she gave me an all encompassing hug and told me she was so proud of the young lady I was turning into. It felt like several minutes that she kept me in her embrace. When I pulled away I noticed her eyes were misty and she was smiling at me with a look on her face like she would never see me again. I only thought it was slightly unusual, my mother could be erratic sometimes. I bid her farewell and made my way through the city towards the hospital.

Dr. Cullen had been hard to find at the busy hospital, but I was recognized immediately when he caught me searching the hallways for him.

"Bella? What are you doing here? You haven't had another accident have you?"

"Dr. Cullen. I am fine, no broken bones today. I was looking for you, actually. My mother said she was feeling ill from the heat and sent me to get some medicine."

"Yes, absolutely. I'm sure I have just what your mother needs. Please, follow me into my office. How is she doing? Is she showing any signs of….." he trailed off looking worried and turning in the direction of his office. I followed him down the hallway and then another, the hard soles of my boots echoing as I tried to keep up. He turned into a little doorway and I followed quickly behind just as a nurse scuttled past.

Once we were in his office I continued with our conversation. "She is fine, other than being tormented by this heat. I don't know that I will make it if it gets any hotter."

"Make sure you are getting plenty of water and rest, Bella. I don't want to hear that you have come down with something, especially what seems to be going around right now," Replied Dr. Cullen.

I heard reports of some type of illness making its way around. Something that had doctors baffled and left healthy people dead within a matter of days. I even heard several ladies on the street say they suspected it had reached Chicago and they knew someone who was sick with it, but I also knew how ladies liked to gossip. I smiled as he passed me a vial of medicine. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen. You know how my mother likes to worry, but I should make my way home before it gets any hotter out there."

"Of course, Bella. I'm glad you were able to visit me in one piece for once." Dr. Cullen had been the one tending to me almost every time I visited the hospital due to my clumsy tendencies. I laughed and waved goodbye, making my way out of the hospital. Just as I was about to walk outside I heard Dr. Cullen call out, "Happy birthday Bella!" I turned to give him one last wave before pushing through the front doors stepping out on the street.

The sun was still high and it felt as though the temperature had increased another 20 degrees. I immediately felt sweat begin to bead up on my back and neck. Most of the day the buildings would cast shadows along the street, but with the sun just reaching the highest point in the sky I was not allowed any escape from it's relentless rays. I ducked my head and shielded my eyes against the sun and began making my way home.

I hadn't made it far before I felt the heel of my boot give on a crack causing me to fall forward. I stretched my hands out grasping at whatever my fingers landed on, which happened to be the coat of a gentleman in front of me. As soon as my hands made contact with the fabric the man spun around and caught me before I went headlong into the street. I quickly began sputtering apologies and sorting myself out while the man kept a hold on me. It wasn't until he asked if I was okay that I glanced up to see his face. Immediately I was lost. His eyes were like emeralds shining in the bright sunlight and he had an amused look upon his face. His mouth was fixed in a lopsided grin and his face was like that of a man, but he still had a youthfulness about him. His hair was the most unusual shade of bronze and the sunlight hitting it made it look like fire. It must have been several seconds before I remembered to breathe again. His look of amusement quickly turned to one of worry when I didn't immediately answer him. It was then I remembered I was supposed to do something, like speak.

"I am sorry, sir, I can be so clumsy sometimes," I muttered, standing awkwardly and brushing myself off.

"There was no harm done. Here, let me help you gather your things," he said, bending over to retrieve my leather purse and vials I had carried out of the hospital. When he handed them back to me our hands touched and I felt a shock run the length of my arm. At that moment I sensed his body stiffen and I realized his hand was lingering just over mine. I glanced up to meet his eyes and saw him staring at me with a confused look on his perfect face. I wondered if he was trying to come up with an explanation for the sensation just like I was. I had to break the tension or I would get lost in those eyes again.

"Thank you, I want to apologize again. I didn't mean to run into you, the sun is just so…" I said before I was cut off by a beautiful strawberry blonde girl with blue eyes and a look of high society.

"Edward, we are going to be late," she said looking at him impatiently. Of course, I thought. I could never meet a guy this amazing that would be available.

He smiled back at her before turning to me again, "Be careful. The streets can be a dangerous place for a beautiful girl to be all alone." With that he turned around and offered his arm to the girl and crossed the street. I stood there, dumbstruck, looking after the most perfect man I had ever seen.

"Edward," I whispered. It suited him.

I watched as he walked away. His hair was a disheveled mess of bronze and he was tall and lean, but I could make out a muscular build under his suit. It felt like it was 150 degrees out but he looked like he was as cool as an autumn day. It wasn't until he and his companion were lost in the hustle and bustle of the street that I began my journey home again.

Reaching a busy intersection I paused to allow several automobiles and carriages pass. I stepped right up to the edge of the street trying to get a glimpse of machines and their proud owners as they drove by. Automobiles had not been around very long, and I found it amusing to see them. Once they started being massed produced people bought them up left and right, and in a city like Chicago they quickly filled the streets with their loud engines and. I leaned forward just a bit to get a look at one particular model I had never seen before when I felt something bump into me, sending me right into the busy intersection. I heard several ladies scream and the last thing I remembered seeing was the grill of that car coming right towards me. Cold shock ran through me as I sucked in a breath, squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the impact. At that moment I felt a tight squeezing sensation and then everything faded away. A single tear escaped my closed eyes as I thought I was surely dead. The noise of the city was gone, the smell of the dust and cars didn't fill my nose, and the heat of the day was no longer beating down on my skin. I couldn't bear to open my eyes to find out what had become of me. But a gentle breeze caressed my face and I acknowledged that I couldn't deny myself the truth any longer. Releasing the same breath I taken just before the impact I opened my eyes. What I saw was beyond my explanation.

**Present Day**

I bent down to search under my bed for the old leather purse my mother had given me all those years ago. It was cracked and worn, the leather was changing color, and the I had to get it stitched together several times. But it was the single most favorite thing I owned because it was the only thing I had of my life before I found out I was… different. I opened it up and dug around for the letter my mother had hidden in the purse on my 17th birthday before she sent me into the city. I realized now, as she gave me that hug before I left, she knew that she may never see me again. I pulled the paper out, colored yellow with age, and carefully opened it to read the message.

_Dearest Bella, if you are reading this then you must know you have a gift. The gift of time travel. This extraordinary ability manifests on your 17th birthday and with it you will be able to live a long, wonderful life. Once you begin to travel you will not age. However, this ability takes time to master. Bella, there is another thing that you must know. Once you have the ability, the first time you travel you will no longer be able to revisit the time from which you came. It is the one downfall of having this gift. Normally, a person is allowed to choose when or if they travel. But sometimes, if a person experiences something emotional, traumatic, or shocking, they may travel by accident. My dearest Bella, I know that you may sometimes be clumsy and can sometimes befall on bad luck, therefore I knew there was a chance that you may be one to experience travel with out warning. I am so sorry that I could not tell you before, but this ability must remain a secret to all. In order to help I have given you a small notebook which you must study relentlessly if you decide to continue to use this ability. It contains everything you need to know to travel safely. It will take some time to master, but you are very bright, and I know you can do this, even if it must be on your own. Once I met your father I chose not to travel so that I could settle down and have a family, but if you do not return to me I will search all of time for you, my sweet daughter._

_I hope that one day we will be reunited. Love,_

_Your Mother_

Wet marks began to appear on the letter next to stains from tears that I had shed over it so many times before. I wiped my eyes and placed the letter next to the notebook my mother had given me. The first time I traveled after almost being hit by a car I went only a year or so ahead. I guess not knowing I could travel meant that there was not enough "push" to my "jump," as I liked to call it, to send me too far forward or back. I did, however, land somewhere in Kansas. I could remember like it happened yesterday.

-Flashback to September 1919

I opened my eyes to see white puffy clouds making their way lazily across the sky. My breathing shallowed as I realized there were no loud city noises, only the occasional sound of crow in the distance. I sat up and looked around, taking in my surroundings. Tall grass surrounded me, moving with the breeze, undulating like the waves on the great lake that bordered Chicago. I began moving my hands across the ground looking for my leather purse. When my fingers came in contact with it I pulled it to my lap and began to dig through it, hoping for anything. Thankfully, my mother had given me some money, though not much. Though, I knew we didn't have much money any way. Its very likely she gave me all she could afford. Looking around again, I noticed a long linear break in the tall grass. Rising to my feet I could make out that it was a road. Dusting myself off and securing the purse over my shoulder and across my body I began to make my way, hoping I was heading in the direction of a city. Luckily I only had to travel a mile or so before I came across a small town. I made my way into the general store when a calendar caught my eye. I noticed it said September 1919. I just assumed they were already selling it for next year. Then I noticed the stack of newspapers on the counter. The date read September 15th, 1919. Puzzled I asked the man at the counter what the date was. "September 15th," he said without looking up. "And the year?" I asked slowly. "1919," he replied, still not looking at me. I turned and ran out of the store and around the corner down a little dusty side street and leaned up against the side of the building clutching at the stitch in my side. There, hidden in the shadow of the alleyway, I sunk to the ground pulling my knees to my chest. All I could think was what had happened to me? Just moments ago I was in Chicago, making my way home, celebrating my birthday. Why was I here? And how had I made it to the future? Was I dreaming? Was I dead? I raked my hands through my hair as I thought. Again, I clutched at the purse hanging at my side. Pulling it in front of me, I searched again. It had been producing things for me all day and I was hopeful it wasn't done giving me what I needed. That's when I found the letter from my mother. It was hidden away in the little pocket attached just to the inside.

-Present Day

I thought back to those first years. I learned quickly, and in no time I was able to jump years back. I was always afraid to jump forward. The information in the little notebook explained that traveling into the future can be extremely difficult and should only be done in extreme circumstances. I took that to mean that it wasn't a good idea and did my best to avoid doing that at all costs. Traveling into the future was a very scary ordeal. I did it on accident several times while I was still learning my ability and each time I was overwhelmed by what I saw. Things I couldn't explain. The people were different, everyone seemed disconnected. The technology was terrifying. I preferred to live in the present, moving into the future at the same speed as everyone else. It was far more interesting to travel to the past anyway. I, of course, could not alter anything, but seeing things happen that I read about in history books was an amazing sensation.

When I became familiar with my ability I began to use it to my advantage. After working for so many years I saved up quite a bit of money and began traveling back in time to invest in things that I knew, from living in the present, would benefit me financially. Microsoft, Apple, Nokia, Google. Those were just a few of the companies I made investments in, knowing exactly what the returns would be a few years later. I would invest in the past, and reap the benefits in the present. After doing that several times, I amassed enough of a fortune that I could spend my time doing mostly leisure activities. Since I never really aged I would spend my time bouncing from decade to decade living my life as a normal 17 year old, minus having parents around. I eventually established three semi-permanent residences to avoid being a constant wanderer. I appreciated the normalcy that came with being able to call someplace "home." One in the northeast, one in the south, and one in the northwest. And it was the last, in the northwest, that I decided to live out the present for the next couple of years. It had been long enough since my last stay that no one in town would recognize me, and I missed the beautiful mountains, lakes, and forests that surrounded the area.

I gathered up my purse, the letter, and the notebook and placed them all back under my bed. I walked over to my closet and picked an outfit to wear for my first day at Forks High. The school year was almost halfway over which was going to make my first day that much more difficult. For some reason, when I jumped to this year, I overshot the start of the school year by a couple of months. This didn't typically happen since I've had 96 years to practice, but I guess I could have some "off days." Instead of trying to hop back a couple of months I decided to settle back in to my old place and make another new start.

I dug through my closet looking for something suitable. It was stocked full of clothes from almost every decade so I wasn't short on anything to war, it was just a matter of putting something together that would be appropriate and not too outdated. I settled on some black leggings, thanks to the 80's, a long white button down shirt and a grey cardigan, staples in any generation, and black, flat boots, which I picked up on a recent shopping trip. I added a statement necklace that I acquired in the roaring twenties. I inspected myself in the mirror making sure I would appear to fit in with the current generation. I checked the time and decided that I wouldn't have enough time to make any changes so I picked up my backpack, made my way down the staircase and out the front door, grabbing my keys on the way out and locking the front door. I got into my car, a black 1955 Mercedes with classic red interior, and started it, waiting for the antique engine to warm up. I loved this car. It easily turned heads because it really was a beautiful car, but it was easier for people to believe that it was passed down to me from my parents rather than trying to explain why a 17 year old was able to afford the other car I owned. A 2001 Aston Martin that was a little something I got myself for my 100th birthday.

Once the engine on the Mercedes was sufficiently warm, I made my way towards the high school. The weather was a chilly mix of rain and snow and I decided I might need to invest in a vehicle a little more suitable for the weather. I scrolled through the dial on the radio until I found a song I could sing along to. I was belting out my favorite part when I finally pulled into the school parking lot. I pulled into an empty space but left the car running to finish the concert I had going on in my car, shaking my shoulders to the beat and belting out the last verses of the song. When the song finished shut off the engine, gathered up my things and gave a quick look around the parking lot. There were a couple of people looking in my direction and I hoped they were checking out the car and not the performance I had just given. Though, I was certain the window tint would have prevented anyone from seeing me.

I took a moment to look at the school. I had attended school here once before, but it was years ago. The buildings looked almost exactly the same. The trees and bushes that had been planted on the grounds had matured a lot since I last saw them, but the red bricks on the buildings had started to fade and the wear from the years was evident. I took a deep breath to settle the nerves that started to surface and got out of my car.

I found the front office easily enough. Inside, a plump elderly lady waved me up to the counter. "You must be Isabella Swan," she said. "We heard we would be receiving a new student. Too bad you have to switch schools in the middle of the school year. You poor thing. I hope you like it here. Here is your schedule, just have your teachers sign this form and return it to me after school. Have a nice day, dear." Thankful that she didn't let me get a word in I turned and quickly walked out of the office. The less explaining I had to do the better. I learned to easily lie over the years, but I hated having to do it.

I checked my schedule once I made it out to the side walk and noticed I had English first, my favorite subject. I read most of the classics they tend to make 11th graders read numerous times, so hopefully I could recycle some of my old book reports. Once I reached the door to the classroom I folded up the schedule and put it in my backpack. I clutched my cardigan tighter around myself and walked through the door.


End file.
